Post driver mounting assembly

ABSTRACT

A fixed support and pivotally mounted cradle assembly extending crosswise over a vehicle for attachment, positioning, and two-way rotation of a post driver by means of sliding rods and pivotally mounted linkage.

United States Patent l l- 3,602,316

721 Inventors Ralph J. McNicholas .[56] References Cited Gibson Place, ROSQVHIC, 95678; UNITED STATES John H. WiclLi, P.O. Box 868, Loomis,

2.655.006 /1953 Hoen et a1. 173/43 X m] App] No 3335 3,395,766 8/1968 Granville 173/43 x ,447, 13 61969 L' b 4 [22] Filed July 24 1969 v 3 6 I 3! I 173/ 3 X Patented Aug 31,4971 7 Primary ExaminerErnest R. Purser Attorney-Alexander 3 Blair [54] POST DRIVER MOUNTING ASSEMBLY 1 Claim, 4 Drawing Figs. l [52] 0.5. CI 173/28, ABSTRACT: A fixed support and pivotally mounted cradle 173/43 assembly extending crosswise over a vehicle for attachment, [51 1 Int. Cl EZlc 11/02 positioning, and two-way rotation of a post driver by means of Field of Search 173/28, 43 sliding rods and pivotally mounted linkage.

52 g 3 3 30 Z 28b 49 7 v Z7 Z3 l l l h l I 22 :1 I H 22- w l I v v t w z9a- H ll ""2912 I Z/ i H POST DRIVER MOUNTING ASSEMBLY This invention relates to a novel frame assembly mounted on a vehicle for the support and hydraulic control of a post driver.

Vehicular mounted post drivers have hitherto been subject to difficulty in keeping the post driver vertical while the vehicle is on uneven ground, and lining up the post driver with the exact spot where the post is to be driven without moving the vehicle. When the vehicle is subjected to pitch, as when the front is either higher or lower than the rear, or when the vehicle is subjected to roll, as when the left side of the vehicle is either higher or lower than the right side, there must be compensat ing movements so that the post is not driven into the ground at an angle.

Accordingly, a primary object of this invention is to provide a novel apparatus for maintaining the post driver in a vertical position regardless of the pitch or roll of the vehicle.

It is another object of this invention to provide a novel apparatusfor positioning the post driver at a desired point along a path which is orthogonal to the direction of travel of the vehicle. I

The above and other objects of this invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art after a consideration of the following detailed description of a preferred form of this invention taken with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the frame assembly mounted over the vehicle;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the vehicle and the frame assembly mounted thereon;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a preferred form of hydraulic control circuit for actuating the frame assembly in positioning the post driver. Referring in detail to the drawings, there is illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 a vehicle which may be a tractor, truck, or other similar type of vehicle.

For the purpose of the instant invention a tractor is illustrated which is generally indicated at 20, including a frame 21 having front and rear axles 22 and tracks 23, with the conventional drive mechanism, not shown.

The vehicle includes a suitably housed engine 24, a drivers seat 25, and suitable controls for the vehicle, not shown.

The device of the instant invention is generally indicated at 26, and consists essentially of a mounting frame assembly comprising a fixed support 27 and a movable cradle assembly 28 including cradle plates 28a and 28b connected by tubular members 290 and 29bthe assembly being pivotally mounted on a pivot pin 29c. A suitable conventional post bin is generally indicated at 30 and mounted on the vehicle in any desired conventional manner.

Hydraulic rams 31, 32 and 33 are provided connected between fixed support 27, cradle assembly 28, and the post driver, generally indicated at 35 as illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3. Fixed support 27 extends transversely over the vehicle and is attached thereto by means of brackets 36. Hydraulic ram 31 is secured to fixed support 27 by means of a bracket 37. The ram end is in turn secured to the free ends of rods 38 and 39 by means of brackets 39a The other ends of rods 38 and 39 are slidably mounted in tubular members 29a and 29b which extend transversely over the vehicle and are secured to post driver 35 by means of brackets 42 and 43. As pressure is introduced into the hydraulic ram 31 in a manner to be described hereinafter, a ram 45 is pushed outwardly, exerting means of brackets 47 and 48, the cradle plates having corresponding apertures for free passage of rods 38 and 39. Hydraulic ram 32 is secured to support 27 by means of bracket 27a, the ram end being secured to cradle plate 28b by means of a pin 49. As hydraulic pressure is provided in ram 32, ram 50 is extended outwardly rotating cradle plate 28b and the associatedv tubular members about pin 29c, correspondingly rotating rods 38 and 39. As the rods are rotated, the post driver obviously rotates in a vertical plane about a horizontal axis in alignment with pin 29c in order to compensate for vehicular pitch.- Ram 33 is pivotally attached to arm structure 52, which in turn is secured to brackets 42 and 43 at.

the ends of rods 38 and 39 respectively. The ram end is pivotally attached to the post driver by means of a bracket 53. The post driver assembly is also pivoted to brackets 42 and 43 by means of brackets 42a and 43a and pivot 55. As ram 56 is extended by means of ram 33, the top of the post driver assembly is tilted away from the vehicle, while the return of the ram reverses the tilting process so that thepost driver may be tilted in a vertical plane in order to compensate for vehicular roll.

A control box 60 is provided attached to fixed support 27 in a location for convenient manual operation. Actuation of the suitable control'energizes a pump 61 in conjunction with a' source of fluid 62, and by means of control levers 63, 64 and 65 fluid may be directed through appropriate lines as shown in FIG. 4 to a selected one of rams 31,32 and 33 to achieve the actuation heretofore described.

It will thus be seen that there is herein provided an improved structure which accomplishes all of the objects of this invention, and others, including many advantages of great plane equidistant from and pivotal about said pin mounted on said fixed support for pivotal movement only;

longitudinal elements slidably engaged with said guides for pivoting therewith and moving the post driver along a path orthogonal to the direction of vehicular travel;

means connected between said frame and said cradle causing rotation of the post driver in a vertical plane parallel to the direction-of vehicular travel as said cradle assembly pivots; and

linkage extending from said slidable longitudinal elements pivotally attached to the post driver in a first location and secured thereto in another location below the first location and including means for tilting the top of the post driver in one direction while the bottom moves in the other direction in a vertical plane orthogonal to the direction of vehicular travel. 

1. A vehicular frame assembly for attaching a post driver comprising: a fixed support extending transversely over the vehicle and connected to the sides thereof; a cradle assembly comprising a pin secured to said fixed support and two parallel guides in the same horizontal plane equidistant from and pivotal about said pin mounted on said fixed support for pivotal movement only; longitudinal elements slidably engaged with said guides for pivoting therewith and moving the post driver along a path orthogonal to the direction of vehicular travel; means connected between said frame and said cradle causing rotation of the post driver in a vertical plane parallel to the direction of vehicular travel as said cradle assembly pivots; and linkage extending from said slidable longitudinal elements pivotally attached to the post driver in a first location and secured thereto in another location below the first location and including means for tilting the top of the post driver in one direction while the bottom moves in the other direction in a vertical plane orthogonal to the direction of vehicular travel. 